


Promise

by Peppermint_Patty



Category: RWBY
Genre: Based on a Tumblr Post, Blood, Character Death, Death, Gen, Major Character Injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 08:34:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17138492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peppermint_Patty/pseuds/Peppermint_Patty
Summary: Ozpin makes Qrow promise him something





	Promise

**Author's Note:**

> this was, yet again, based on an RP which was also based on Lieu-rey's art on tumblr   
> https://lieu-rey.tumblr.com/post/181306903139/okay-so-i-was-thinking-about-how-qrow-probably-saw

we have Qrow, no doubt exhausted from battling the Grimm in the city but doesn't even realize it because the whole time he's thinking _I have to get back to the Vault. I have to get back to help Oz._ Qrow finds the vault in ruins, the fall maiden is dead in the pod. There's debris everywhere and the most of the lights are destroyed completely with only a few still lighting the way. Qrow sees Amber in the pod, dead, and dread instantly pools in him _because if Amber is dead then where the hell is Oz?_ So he starts looking around, turning over stones and calling out _'Oz! Ozpin!!'_ he calls. Scanning the rubles for any sign of the missing man. "Where are you?! Ozpin!" he calls again as he attempts to move another large piece of stone.

"Oz-" He's turning a corner and stops and his heart just catches in his throat because _there's blood on the floor. There's so much blood everywhere._ He breaks out into a run, following the trail and prays to every god he can think of for him to not be too late. 

Qrow drops to his knees at the sight. There, in the dim flickering lights, lays Ozpin in his own pool of blood

 

 

"Oz.. Oh gods Oz!" 

 

_He's dead. Oh Gods, Ozpin is dead and he was too late. He's going to be sick-_ Just when Qrow is about to break down right there on the floor he hears a slight wheeze and when his eyes shoot up to the man lying not a few feet away from him he sees it - movement. _Ozpin is still breathing._

 

"Oz!" relief washes over the fear as he scrambles to get closer. "Who did this Oz?! What happened down here?" Qrow is known for being a drunk, a great huntsman and a usually composed man, with some childish humor. He can feel himself losing his composure, anxiety seeps in like how blood seeps out of the wounds Ozpin has obtained.

 

Qrow reaches Ozpin and turns him over and the sight that greets him is one he won't ever forget, no matter how many drinks he's had: Ozpin isn't just hurt, his entire chest is caved in and its miracle Ozpin is even able to breathe - let alone still be alive. His vest is soaked in blood, and Qrow almost loses the contents of his stomach when he realizes that if the lights were any brighter he'd be able to _see into his ribecage_. Despite his horror, he catches a soft "Ow" coming from Ozpin.

 

Qrow puts a hand over his mouth, he's seen many horrors in his life, but none of them can compare to this. This man, Ozpin has his chest caved in by something or _someone_ "Oz... Oz who did this? Why is Amber dead? What is going on?"

 

Oz manages to crack one of his eyes open, his breathing coming out in small bursts and never very large. "The.. woman... Cinder... she killed Amber and ..." he takes a moment to catch another breath, "she took... the maiden's power. I did my best but.... I'm afraid this body just isn't as young as it used to be..." He ends his sentence with another wheeze, but manages to crack a small smile a this own jest.

 

Leave it to old man Ozpin to smile even when he's dying. "That bastard! Hang in there Ozpin, we'll go get help and we'll catch her and restore beacon and-" he was rambling, he himself didn't believe a word he was saying. Ozpin interrupts him with a quiet " _Qrow_ " which catches the huntsman attention immediately. "My.. my cane..."  Qrow looks around, he spots it laying a few feet away from them. "do.. Do you want it..?" he asks.

 

Ozpin manages to shake his head at the very confused looking Qrow. "Not... not for me. You... you need to take it." He takes a deep breath before looking at Qrow straight in the eye. "Qrow... this.... this is where we have to say farewell." Qrow pauses. "What? No! No! All that we worked for! All that _you_ worked for! It can't end like this Oz!" he cries. It can't end like this, he won't allow it. 

 

Ozpin weakly grips Qrow's hand which has been holding the headmaster's shoulder, and for the first time Qrow has ever known him - Ozpin begins to cry. "My dusty old crow.... Don't... don't you know this is hardly goodbye? That you... you promised me you'd find me again..? You remember don't you? You swore on your life that... that you'd find me no matter where I was." 

 

"Of course I remember! I just... How can I find you if I don't know where or who you'll be with?" his other hand cups the headmasters cheek, he's doing his best not to break down but it's getting increasingly difficult to keep the tears from falling.

 

Ozpin continues to weakly smile, despite his tears flowing freely now. "My dearest Qrow... I know in my heart... that you'd know me no matter what face I bore... Of that, I have.... the utmost confidence in you." He coughs, and the blood isn't flowing as fast anymore - but Qrow isn't a fool. He's seen men die before, and when people stop bleeding as quickly it only means that their bodies are running out of blood to spill. "So promise me... promise me one more time... that you'll find me?"

 

 "I promise! I promise with my heart and soul that I'll find you, over and over again if I have to!" Qrow sobs, he can't hold it back anymore. Ozpin really was dying, right here under the fading lights and bloody rubble. Ozpin smiles a little wider for Qrow, and his breath catches - a half choked out sob. "Thank you... thank you for... for everything."

Qrow sniffles "I feel like I should be telling you that.. You gave me a place in this world.. I believe I am doing good in this world.." Ozpin reaches up and lightly puts his hand against Qrow's face, smearing some of his blood on the side of the other man's cheek. "Oh silly bird... You always had a place in this word the moment you stepped into this school...." 

More tears poured at the older man's words. The hand that rested on Ozpin's shoulder went to grasp the cold hand on his cheek "Oz.." he sobbed. "Qrow... I..." Ozpin's hand begins to slip from Qrow's grasp and he has to grip it tight to keep it from falling. Oz's face crumples and his eyes flicker gold for the briefest of moments before he continues. "Qrow I.... I'm scared. I've died so many times in so many ways but.... _I'm so scared I don't want to stop being me._ " 

 

"Oh..no no Ozpin, you're always going to be you, no matter what, I promise." Qrow does his best to soothe him "You'll always be my old man Ozpin." Ozpin's eyes search Qrows, and his tears make his eyes almost as red as the blood that has no doubt ruined Qrow's outfit. "You... you don't know that."

"But I do! I know you'll always be you" he protests. Red eyes staring in dull brown eyes.  

Ozpin tries to smile for him once more, but it never reaches his eyes. "I wish... I wish I could believe you, my ... my dusty old crow." His breathing is getting shallow now, and he's taking more time between words. "But... though this curse of mine has brought so much grief.... I am forever grateful that it allowed me to meet you.... To know you... Even if for just a little while...."

Qrow hunches forward, his forehead resting on Ozpin's. "I'm glad you came into my life when you did.. I don't know where I'd be without you, Oz. You mean more to me than anyone can ever hope to know." 

Ozpin closes his eyes, his last tears falling. "I think.. I have an idea." His voice is barely above a whisper now, and Ozpin is cearly struggling to get his words out - but he manages one last choked out whisper. " _Thank you... for being the last thing Professor Ozpin got to see.... thank you....._ "

 

"You're welcome..." Qrow mumbles, vocal chords gripped tight from crying. He scrunched his eyes as he let's his tears fall on in Ozpin forehead. Qrow hold him like that for a moment, waiting for Ozpin to say something else. A few ,more moments pass and Qrow's blood turns to ice when he realizes that Ozpin has stopped breathing.

Qrow shakes him, he knows it's fruitless, he knows he's stopped breathing but he doesn't want to admit it "Oz! Oz no! No no no!" he sobs even harder, taking in sharp breaths, he vaguely realizes he's hyperventilating, but he doesn't care, Ozpin is dead.

" _Ozpin please don't do this... You can't do this..._ " Qrow buries his face into Ozpin's shoulder - it's starting to cool and the thought sickens Qrow more than anything. Qrow can't think about leaving, he can't think about going to find Cinder, he can't think about going to find Glynda or Ironwood, _he can't think about leaving Ozpin in a place like this_.

 

In the midst of his panic, his eyes avert to the Lone cane. He makes his way over to the cane, picking it up with such delicacy he didn't know he was capable of, his fingers lightly brushing any dusts and small stoned pebbles. It burns, knowing that Ozpin had fought to the death with this cane. But it burns even more to think of a future where Ozpin might never again get to wield it. He swore on his life that he'd find Ozpin again, and he'll be damned if anyone is going to get their hands on his cane while Qrow still draws breath. Qrow stands up, cradling the cane to his chest as he stumbles past Ozpin's body. He doesn't want to leave him, he can't leave him. But he _has_ to. Ozpin once said that there will be a time where he will have to make a decision that will wound him. He believes this is what Ozpin was referring to. Qrow musters all the self-restraint he has left in him and breaks into a run towards the elevator shaft, making sure Ozpin's cane is secure in his hands before shifting into a bird to take flight to the top. He still has a mission to finish, the last one Ozpin will ever give him. He has to make sure he gets this one right so that he can tell the Old Man himself if- no _when_ he finds him again. His mind focuses on that: the thought of holding Ozpin in his arms again and saying something as simple as " _hi."_

 

As a bird Qrow caws loudly, although it is loud, it is also mournful. He will find Oz again and when he does he'll make sure nothing takes him away again, he'll make sure this _Cinder_ lady will pay.

 

 

* * *

 


End file.
